REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action to Appoint Youth Commission Members for the FY2024/25 Term
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Enhance Community Engagement and Transparency
BACKGROUND
The Youth Commission serves in an advisory capacity to the City Council and makes recommendations on matters pertaining to the Santa Clara youth and teen population, especially as it relates to municipal programs and City projects. The Commission is under the supervision of a staff liaison from the Parks & Recreation Department. The Youth Commission was established in 1995 by Ordinance No. 1673, with eligibility criteria, powers and responsibilities outlined in Resolution No. 6047. The candidate selection and recommendation processes were updated in 2019 by Resolution No. 19-8706.
DISCUSSION
The Youth Commission is comprised of fifteen appointed members and three alternates. As of April 2024, there are nine (9) Youth Commissioners eligible for reappointment, leaving six (6) Youth Commission vacancies, and three (3) alternate position vacancies to be filled by Council appointment.
The applicant recruitment process began on February 1, 2024. An applicant information meeting was held on February 7, 2024, at the Youth & Teen Center and applications were due to staff on March 4, 2024. The Youth Commission vacancies and applications were promoted and made available on the Youth Commission’s web page, in Parks & Recreation facilities, at the City Clerk’s Office, Santa Clara City Library and Santa Clara Unified School District schools. Thirty-eight applications were received. Staff screened the applications based on eligibility and experience; nineteen candidates were invited for interviews.
On March 16, 2024, nineteen candidates for the City of Santa Clara Youth Commission were interviewed by a selection panel comprised of the Commission’s Staff Liaison, a Parks & Recreation Department Recreation Coordinator, and the Youth Commission Chair in accordance with the approved process. The applicants were evaluated on their leadership skills, volunteer experience and how well they would represent the City’s youth and teen population on the Youth Commission.
Following the interview process, the selection panel recommends the reappointment of nine (9) eligible existing commissioners, the appointment of six (6) eligible candidates to serve on the Commission, and the selection of the three (3) eligible candidates to be conditionally appointed as Commission alternates. The alternates are non-voting members of the Commission but will attend meetings and fill a vacant position on the Commission should a Youth Commissioner be unable to complete their term. Each Commissioner will serve a one-year term beginning in September 2024 and ending in May 2025. Each candidate recommended for appointment meets the requirements of being a City of Santa Clara resident between the ages 12-19 and has served less than six (6) one-year terms.
Table 1 (Youth Commissioner Recommended Appointments 2024/25 Term) below contains a list of candidates recommended for reappointment, appointment, and conditional appointment to serve as alternates for the FY2024/25 Youth Commission.
Table 1
Youth Commissioner Recommended Appointments 2024/25 Term
a) Recommended Reappointment of Returning Commissioners eligible for the 2024/25 Term
Name Grade School in Fall of 2024
Namita Gaidhani 11 Cupertino High School
Simren Garg 12 St. Francis High School
Maryam Ismail 12 Wilcox High School
Ryan Kim 12 Sacred Heart Prep San Jose
Kira Liang 12 Cupertino High School
Malia Martin 11 Archbishop Mitty High School
Samaira Mehta 11 Santa Clara High School
Hiranya Parekh 12 Santa Clara High School
Samarth Suresh 11 Wilcox High School
b) Candidates Recommended for Appointment for the 2024/25 Term
Name Grade School in Fall of 2024
Julianna Arias Hernandez 11 Santa Clara High School
Allysa Domensino 9 Santa Clara High School
Srikha Gopisetti 10 Wilcox High School
Neha Israni 10 Cupertino High School
Rebecca Kunze 11 Notre Dame High School
Brian Rong 10 Lynbrook High School
c) Candidates Recommended for Conditional Appointment as Alternates for 2024/25 Term
Name Grade School in Fall of 2024
Mateo Espinal 10 Santa Clara High School
Niharika Uppalapati 11 Santa Clara High School
Aneesha Vemu 10 Archbishop Mitty High School
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impacts related to the approval of appointments to the Youth Commission for the FY2024/25 Term include staff support, Commissioner training, and meeting expenses. Expenses related to Youth Commission activities are incorporated in the FY 2024/25 General Fund Operating Budget. No further funding is requested.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Appoint the following Youth Commissioners for the FY 2024/25 Term:
(a) Reappoint Namita Gaidhani, Simren Garg, Maryam Ismail, Ryan Kim, Kira Liang, Malia Martin, Samaira Mehta, Hiranya Parekh, and Samarth Suresh;
(b) Appoint Julianna Arias Hernandez, Allysa Domensino, Srikha Gopisetti, Neha Israni, Rebecca Kunze, Brian Rong; and,
(c) Appoint Mateo Espinal, Aneesha Vemu, Niharika Uppalapati, as alternates to the Youth Commission.
Staff
Prepared by: Gayle Ichiho, Recreation Supervisor
Reviewed by: Kimberly Castro, Recreation Manager
Approved by: Cynthia Bojorquez, Assistant City Manager and Acting Director of Parks & Recreation